Diet of Tiger salamanders in North Dakota,with implications for flow of heavy metals through wetland...

http://www.discoverlife.org/20/q?search=Ambystoma+tigrinum

Cd~0.2 mg/Kg

CdBelow detection limit

metamorphosis

paedomorphosis

http://www.disk-world.net/nucleus/media/1/LandUse_LC.jpg

NDSU Agriculture Research Center, Minot, Summer 2006

MS222, 10% Formalin,70% Ethanol

Dissection, stomach removal, and content analysis

Larval V.S. Transformed – Significant Difference in Stomach mass and Content

Male V.S. Female – No significant difference

Juvenile V.S. Adult – No significant difference

Head width Stomach Content Mass Snout Vent Length (SVL)

What They What They EatEat

Food Profile for Larval Ambystoma tigrinum

Food Profile for Transformed Ambystoma tigrinum

Food Profile for Larval Ambystoma tigrinum

61.4%

•~ 400 known species•0.5-3 mm in length•Live in nearly all inland freshwater bodies•Feed on organic material found in sediment particles

R. Brusca &G. Brusca, Invertebrates, second edition, 2003, Sinauer Associates, Inc pp. 522

http://www.microscope-microscope.org/gallery/Mark-Simmons/pages/Cladoceran.htm

Food Profile for Larval Ambystoma tigrinum

Food Profile for Transformed Ambystoma tigrinum

2.7%

37.2%

•~ 25,000 known species.•Most are parasitic but some are free-living.•Live in marine, freshwater and terrestrial environments.•Species found were ~15-30 mm in length•The free living forms feed on the fungi and bacterial

R. Brusca &G. Brusca, Invertebrates, second edition, 2003, Sinauer Associates, Inc pp. 351-362

Food Profile for Larval Ambystoma tigrinum

Food Profile for Transformed Ambystoma tigrinum

15.8%

6.2%

•Live throughout North America and most commonly found in cool and clear streams. However, is not the case for us, our individuals were in a pond environment.•11-23 mm in length•Filter feeders, feeding fungi and bacteria.

J. Voshell, Jr., A Guide to Common Freshwater Invertebrates of North America, 2002, The McDonald & Woodward Publishing Company pp. 382-383

Food Profile for Larval Ambystoma tigrinum

Food Profile for Transformed Ambystoma tigrinum

18.5%

5.6%

•Live throughout North America in light flowing freshwater. •25-50 mm in length•Predatory feeders.J. Voshell, Jr., A Guide to Common Freshwater Invertebrates of North America, 2002, The McDonald & Woodward Publishing Company pp. 305

•Live throughout North America in freshwater in ponds, lakes, marshes, and diches.•30-40 mm in length•Predatory feeders.J. Voshell, Jr., A Guide to Common Freshwater Invertebrates of North America, 2002, The McDonald & Woodward Publishing Company pp. 301-302

Identify Nematode species Analyze individuals from other ponds

Stomach content of terrestrial individuals

Adequate pond samples

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS